Charles f



CHARLES r. TAYLOR, or NEW YORK,` NJ Y;

APPARATUS FOR-RELIEVIENG SPINAL CURVATUREL Specification of Letters Patent No. 26,628, dated December 2'7",` 1859;

To all whom 'itwmay concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. TAYLOR,

of New York, in the county of NewYork,` and` State of New York, have invented a` Spinal Assistant Designed to Aidfinthe Treatment of Angular Curvature of the Spine, `the construction and operation of which I have described in the following specification and illustrated in its accompanying drawings with sufficient clearness to enable competent and skilful workmen in the arts to which it pertains or is most nearly y allied to make and use my invention.

The upright columns that assist the spine are, in my instrument, provided with one or` more stop hinges so arranged that while forward tlection of'the trunk is prevented, there is no hindrance to its backward liection, the object being to enable the spinal muscles to act andthus become developed, so that said spinal muscles may assist in the reduction of the curvature and aid in arresting the diseased process by relieving the anterior plates of the vertebrae from pressure at the point of disease, and by` this encouragement of the action of the `posterior muscles of the trunk causing healthy tissue to exist in the vicinity of the disease, at the same time allowing all motions of the` body except those which it is necessary to prevent, namely: Forward and lateral flection through the diseased point, thereby exerting a wholesome influence upon the general health of the patient. My instrument is still further so constructed that pressure `is made at the anatomical points known as the angles of the ribs, for the following reasons, namely: Pressure at the angles of the ribs secures a more solid rest for the instrument` to act against; by partially embracing the spine prevents lateral flection through the diseased point; has a tendency to elevate the anterior extremities of the ribsuand thus throw back the upper ortion of the spine; avoids the injurious e ects ofpressure on the spinal muscles; and especially avoids the injury, resulting from pressure on the wedge shaped, diseased Vertabrae at the angular projection of the spine; secures great steadiness of the trunk with slight force of contact of the instrument; and enables the points or surfaces of contact to be very broad. `Thus all the muscles ofthe trunk are allowed the same freedom of action with as without the instrument, lateral motion of the spine at `its `extremities `being",providedL` i for .by anl axialinotion orjvibration, off the.. uprights or supporting; columns uponftlieg:

,screws or` pins which attachthem to thefband,"

below and the cross pieceatthe` top",` l 1f My invention is represented inthe fac panying drawings as folloiirsi u Figure l is a `rear elevatfon or baclrfview` of the instrument placed"inposition upon the body. flig. Zisa persplect-iwi"ViewI 4a partly from the front".` ;3`is "alvert-ioalf section showing` the constructionof the stop y f u u hinges, and the arrangementvofythe adjust-1 mg screws by which the limitof` forward` flection is regulated.

A is the band around the `hips, to which@ the lower end of the dorsal columns or sup-` if,

ports B, B, `are connectedby thescrews ain j such a manner as toallowfoftheirlateral y vibration, the screw serving the purpose of l an axis. 1 These supports B, B, are so ar-` ranged as to bear upon the angles of the ribs for the purposesalready stated, and `to 3 do this they are placed upon each `sideof the @u i spine as shown in Figifl. Theylare connect-p'` 80. ed at the top by thelcrosspiece3G` asshown;` l

`The shoulder straps D,"D,` are `attached to f this crosspiece as showmfor :the purposeof f attaching the instrument to the `shoulders of the wearer, and these straps Dlareconneeted if in front of the wearerfby means ofthe strap i H, as seen in Fig. 2.` For the purpose ofpre-` f f `1 venting lateral bendingof the `spine throughl y the point of disease, I attach ja banditothe;@g1` dorsal supports, saidband "being securedi f around the body as shown; l,

The supports B, B, arezmade in sections, f and their longitudinaladjustment ispro-l 3l` vided for by means of the slots or grooves g, ,951 f1 and the clamping screwsz.. Theyarezlllso` 1 provided with hinges ,I, I," I, "so x1 constructed .3, and attached asto` allow themnto,renderyinf` obedience to a backward pressure ,against thel Q extremities of the supportsB, butat thesa s111001? time to restrict their lection gin theopposite direction so as yto prevent `a stooping `curva-` each end to the said supports B, and passing" f, .i

`ture of the spine, whileatythesamejtime a,v

backward movement of the extreme portions of the trunk with Vreference `tothe middle :i portion, is freely,allowed,"andtheiyaction'of` y the muscles in that direction is .thereby eny f Y couraged. Theconstruction.ofltheselhinges I, I, I, is more fully shown in Fig. `3. `The y i, lection of the lower pair of hinges in that liOQ` direction which would otherwise allow. a stooping position of the spine is prevented by the ends of the parts of the supports B, B,

these hinges. At each of the Ajoints above,

it will be observedY that the end of one of the parts of the dorsal brace B underlaps the hinge, and the end of the other part to which it is united. This construction and arrangement in connection with the set screw n, forms .an adjustable stop by which the instrument may be regulated to fit any forni or degree of curvature, and gives a means of changing its adjustment as convalescence y progresses, till the spine is brought completely toits normal position, which is very important advantage.` j

I claun as the articularA improvements constituting the sald invention, and 0r1g1= nally and first invented by me:

l. A spinal supporter or assistant in which the longitudinal dorsal plates or supports are jointed together in sections in the manner described for the purpose set forth.

2. Arranging the dorsal plates in the manner described, by which the pressure which is exerted in a forward direction is thrown upon the angles of the ribs as set forth, instead of upon the vertebrae and vertebral column, as formerly.

CHARLES VF. TAYLOR. Y

Witnesses: Y

S. R. WELLS, THos. P. How. 

